You have decided to change your scenery and move to another home, neighborhood, or city? In case you haven’t moved for a while, you might be surprised how things changed throughout the years. There are more and more registered local movers all around the area, and once you start your search, it might seem overwhelming with the number of results you are seeing on your internet search. When it comes to moving, we all have different needs and looking for other things when it comes to professional movers. That is normal, considering that every home is different and therefore every move is different. For those who are first-time moving or haven’t done it in a while, this text might be helpful. So, let’s start with some basic steps on how to find local movers.
- Ask for recommendation
Now, we already mentioned that finding the quality local movers is like finding a needle in a haystack. But it is not impossible, of course. The best way to find professional movers that are quality and with whom you might feel comfortable and safe is to ask someone for a recommendation. Living in your neighborhood you have probably seen someone moving in or out. Go to them, and ask them about the residential movers they have used and how satisfied they were. Even if your friends or family members have moved to the same town where you live, feel free to ask them. Most of the local movers are not tied to the one town, but for the area itself. For example, professional movers who are operating in Los Angeles might help you with your move within Riverside. Even if you hear some anti-recommendation when it comes to local movers, that will be helpful too. Learning about someone’s bad experience is equally important as finding out they had perfect local movers. Word of mouth is golden when you are looking for professional movers who will take care of everything that you have gathered throughout the time spending in your current home.
And if you don’t have anyone to ask, don’t worry, you will be the first one in your surroundings that found the local movers that the rest of them can use.
- The internet is your best friend
In case you are not among the lucky ones that have relatives or friends that have moved recently, your best friend for the upcoming days will be the internet. When you type professional movers near me on your internet search, don’t panic when you see hundreds, maybe even thousands of local moving companies that will pop up. You don’t have to scroll and check dozens of local movers before you decide, but there are a couple of simple rules to follow. Firstly, you shouldn’t rely on Yelp only if you want to find local movers that can meet all of your needs. Local movers have their pages on Yelp, Google, Angie’s List, Craig’s List, etc. We would recommend the basic search on Yelp and Google. Many professional movers have their ads on both, and if you see some high-rated professional movers that are among the first companies on both sites – that might be a good sign. You will notice that Yelp has a new feature where you will see many advertised local movers on top of the page. Calling just professional movers from that list might not be a good idea. Depending on how much time you have to make all of those calls, you can choose one company that is sponsored, then scroll down and find one or two highly-rated local movers that are among the first companies and not sponsored. After that, go on Google and do the same procedure. You should have at least 5 companies you would like to call before hiring local movers. It is not easy to find the best movers, but once you do – that will be your moving partner forever. That is why you should add some extra effort at the beginning of the process. Don’t forget to write down all the information you find about local movers, this way it will be easier for you once you get to the calling. You might want to write down all the contact information in case you get caught up with the chaos of moving.
- Do a background check
After you have selected local movers that you would like to call and learn more about the services they are offering, make sure to do a background check. You want to learn as much as possible before giving them a call. Pay extra attention to the rating that your local movers have. You shouldn’t go below 4 stars. Also, read the newest reviews to see the feedback from people who recently used the professional movers you are thinking of. Don’t mind if there are a few negative reviews, that is normal when it comes to the business such as local moving. Local movers are humans after all! Mistakes during the move are possible and some people do get furious about it and leave online feedback. But if bad reviews are more an exception than a rule, you should make sure that doesn’t happen to you as well. You might want to see if there are some public responses to good and bad reviews, that will tell you a lot about a company. If possible, you might want to check if your professional movers are licensed. Cannot find anything online? No worries, ask your local movers to provide you with that and check it afterward.
- Call your local movers and ask the following
After all the process where you had to do a bunch of things on your own, it is time to call the local movers and learn more about the services they are offering. Local movers will do their best to explain to you a lot of details on their own, without the need to ask them anything. But you will want to be prepared in case they don’t. There are many questions you will want to ask, but they can be downsized to the most important ones.
What is included in the price?
Probably the answer that is the most important for planning of your upcoming move. No matter if there are some additional charges or not, your local movers need to be transparent about it. You cannot have any unpleasant surprises on your moving day. Make sure to ask your professional movers what is included in the price and whatnot. With most of the local movers packing comes as an additional service, so if you want them to help you with this, make sure to double-check the price and charges for it. Always ask if some additional charges are not included in the price. Most of the Californian local movers charge the double drive time fee, which is regulated by the law, and they don’t mention it because they think you are already aware of this. The same applies to fuel charges or surcharges that local movers can decide if they want to charge or not.
What services do you offer?
The last thing you want to happen to you is not to be prepared for the arrival of local movers due to misunderstanding. That is why you should ask your professional movers what services are included in the price. Local movers usually bring tools to disassemble and reassemble your furniture, wrapping and protecting are included too. Some local movers might have wardrobe boxes, straps, dollies, and similar included. Always be prepared to avoid stress.
Are you licensed and insured?
We cannot emphasize how important this question is. There are numerous local movers around California, and unfortunately, not all of them are either licensed or insured. We must say you should never book local movers that are not licensed or insured because you will go through Hell in case something gets damaged.
How does the claim procedure look like?
No one likes to think of the worst, but things might happen, it is not impossible. Ask your local movers to briefly explain the claim procedure. Just in case something gets damaged or scratched you will know how to act.
- Pay extra attention to…
Once you have found the perfect local movers that you would like to use for your upcoming move, make sure to pay attention to the following.
How is their customer support
The very first people you will talk to are not local movers, but the customer support that is a part of the company. You want to see if that is a group of people that will be there to help you with any further questions or concerns. Even if your professional movers make some sort of mistake during the move, you will have to get back to these people. You would rather them be polite and helpful.
Book movers in time
Once you have found local movers that fit all of your needs you don’t want to lose the chance to use their services because you are too late. When planning a local move, you probably have the idea on a moving day even before calling your local movers, so why waiting? Especially if you want to move on Saturday or Sunday, you should make sure to book professional movers early because the movers lose availability pretty fast when it comes to weekends. And if you are moving in the middle of the moving season, the same rules apply.
Reading confirmation email
After you have booked your local movers, they will send you a confirmation email that includes all the details that you have made on the phone with customer support. This document has the same value as the agreement, and it will leave you some time to cancel or even reschedule your relocation without any penalties. Local movers require the deposit to secure your spot with them, and it can be lost due to certain actions on your end, and you should learn all about it. Don’t forget to check the date and time stated in the email. Sometimes, customer support agents may make an honest mistake when it comes to this, and you want to point that out as soon as possible. After that, take a look at the price that is stated and also read carefully the notes. To prepare for the arrival of your local movers, check what they can or cannot move. There are some limitations when it comes to the weight of your items and safety, and if you are not sure if your professional movers can help you or not – give them a call back to find out.
Reading the agreement
An extended version of the confirmation email is the moving agreement that your local movers will bring with them on a moving day. No matter how long it might seem and how time-consuming, you should read it before signing. It will save you from headaches in case you misunderstood something and it will also save your budget from overspending. You should know that local movers are not allowed to charge you anything that is not stated in the confirmation email or the agreement. It is not too late to change your mind even if that is on a moving day, you want to keep your rights. And we should note that none of the professional movers won’t even try to do any of this to you. But better to know than to be surprised.
Riverside Pro Movers is a reliable local moving company that can help you with any moving plan that you have in mind. Our experienced professional movers have the knowledge, skills, and passion to execute your move in the best possible way. No matter if this is your first time moving or you moved dozens of times, our team will make sure that you receive the most comfortable and stress-free service. Give us a call and get a free moving quote for using our local movers. In case you don’t have time to chat, you can request a quote on our website, and we will get back to you within an hour or two. We are more than happy to help! Looking forward to hearing from you.